Foreigners: Insiders, Outsiders and the Ethics of Membership

Abstract

Questions of exclusion, membership and the status of resident foreigners press upon liberal political thought and society with a particular sharpness, given the universalist underpinnings of the liberal commitment. How within the horizon of liberalism and rights discourse are we to think of the foreigner? The article suggests some reasons why we should consider suspect the cluster of notions surrounding alienage and sketches why the moral salience of the foreignness of these outsiders at our door and present among us has diminished, and thus brought under scrutiny our traditional comportment toward them. But it is not so much intended here to seek a resolution of these issues as to motivate a cluster of questions, to argue for their importance and to show the inadequacy of the treatment of them that we have inherited.

Globally privileged citizenship

“…In relation to political philosophers, Benhabib (1999) says that Globally privileged citizenship 281 they 'have paid little attention to citizenship as a sociological category, as a social practice that inserts us into a complex network of privileges and duties, entitlements, and obligations' (p.719). This is changing as writers explore how citizenship is intersecting with justice (Booth, 1997;Carens, 2000). Relying on liberal democratic principles or using the notion of the Rawlsian 'veil of ignorance' they arrive at a similar position to that arrived at using notions of social justice and human rights.…”

“…This of course brings with it all of the limitations of the charity discourse. As William Booth (1997) describes it:…”

“…For those who acquire citizenship through migration, they have met specified criteria of that country's migration law, often as the result of inhabiting privileged positions in other countries (e.g., high educational qualifications, wealth and English language skills). As Booth (1997) describes it:…”

“…(Howard, cited in Mares, 2002, p. 231) There have been challenges to exclusive notions of citizenship, direct and indirect, by various writers (Soysal, 1994;Booth, 1997;Benhabib, 1999;Castles & Davidson, 2000;Faulks, 2000;Spiro, 2003). What the notion of globally privileged citizenship does, is to support those writers who suggest that exclusionary discourses on citizenship are not compatible with justice.…”

“…Harsh responses are seen as necessary to protect the rights of the citizens of the safe, stable, materially affluent western countries, and to minimize the perceived threat posed by those seeking to enter uninvited and enjoy the same benefits. The policies of Governments in relation to asylum seekers and unauthorized economic migrants have significant social justice and human rights consequences (Booth, 1997;Benhabib, 1999;Mares, 2002). Alison Brysk and Gershon Shafir (2004) describe the disparity in the rights enjoyed by citizens and those enjoyed by outsiders as the 'citizenship gap'.…”